Marking instrument



y 1964 A. E. SIMON, JR., ETAL 3,141,187

MARKING INSTRUMENT 2 sheets -sheet 1 Filed Sept. 5, 1962 INVENTORS 14L BERTE. SIMON, Jr

F l E- HAROLD ESTE/NBERG.

ATTORNEYJ'.

July 21, 19 A. E. SlMON, JR., ETAL MARKING INSTRUMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 5, 1962 lllilll?! INVENTOR ALBERT E.5/MON,J7: HAROLD ESTE/NBERG F/EJE'- ATTORNEY5 United States Patent 3,141,187 MARKING INSTRUMENT Albert E. Simon, Jr., Glenside, and Harold E. Steinberg,

Philadelphia, Pa, assignors to Esterbrook Pen Company, Camden, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Sept. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 221,608 Claims. (Cl. 15-563) This invention relates to marking instruments of the type including an ink reservoir and a support member adapted to support a felt nib or applicator over the open end of the reservoir in position to receive ink by capillary action from an ink carrier housed in the reservoir.

An object of the present invention is to provide a marking instrument of the felt nib type which is characterized by a novel arrangement of parts providing a fluid-tight joint between the nib support and ink reservoir.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a marking instrument which is of comparatively simplified construction which may be manufactured economically and which is fully effective for the purposes intended.

These and other objects of the present invention and the features and details of a marking instrument made in accordance with the present invention are hereinafter more fully set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view partly in section of a marking instrument in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the nib holder;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the nib holder shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the nib;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the nib holder;

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are enlarged fragmentary sectional views of other embodiments of marking instruments in accordance with the present invention;

6 FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9-9 of FIG.

; and

FIGS. l0, l1 and 12 are perspective views of the felt nibs of the marking instruments shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 respectively.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, the marking instrument comprises a generally cylindrical hollow ink reservoir 10 having a short radially inwardly projecting annular lip 12 at one axial end thereof defining a circular opening 14, an ink carrier or filler 16 housed in the reservoir 10 and an elongated felt nib 18 of generally rectangular cross sectional shape mounted in the opening 14 in the reservoir 10 by means of a support structure 20 secured thereto. The ink carrier 16 is conventionally made of felt or similar material capable of storing a large quantity of ink and the nib 18 is supported with its inner end 19 contacting the ink carrier 16 to supply ink by capillary action to the outer marking tip 21 of the nib 18.

In accordance with the present invention and with reference to the marking instrument illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 inclusive, the nib support structure 20 comprises a nib holder 22 and a tip section 36. The nib holder 22 is made of plastic and comprises an elongated neck 23, an axial bore 24 in the neck 23 extending from end to end and a radially outwardly projecting annular flange 26 adjacent the lower or inner axial end of the neck 23. A pair of confronting slots 28 extending lengthwise of the nib holder 22 are formed in the bore 24, the slots terminating short of the lower axial end of the holder 22 to define diametrically opposed projections 30 adapted to seat in notches 32 formed in opposite side edges of the nib 18 to support the nib 18 against axial displacement with respect to the nib holder 22. The side edges of the nib 18 below the notches 32 converge slightly toward the inner end 19 of the nib 18 to facilitate insertion of the nib 18 from the upper end of the nib holder 22.

The tip section 36 comprises an elongated tubular neck portion 38 which closely embraces the neck 23 of the nib holder 22, flange portion 42 projecting radially outward ly from the lower end of the neck portion .38 which overlies the flange 26 and a skirt 40 depending from the outer edge of the ring 42 which is crimped to provide an annular bead 44 which seats in an annular groove 46 in the side wall of the reservoir.

In assembling the marking instrument of the present invention for use, the ink carrier 16 is placed in the reservoir 10, and the nib holder 22 is then positioned over the opening 14 in the reservoir 10 with the flange 26 seated on the lip 12. The tip section 36 is placed over the nib holder 22 and pressed downwardly whereby the annular bead 44 snaps into the annular groove 46 to detachably secure the nib holder 22 and tip section 36 to the reservoir 10. It is noted that by this arrangement, the neck portion 38 of the tip section closely embraces the neck 23 of the nib holder 22 and the flange 26 of the nib holder 22 is seated firmly against the lip 12 by the flange portion 42 of the tip section thereby providing a fluid-tight joint. The nib 18 is then inserted into the bore of the nib holder 22 until the projections 30 engage in the notches 32 whereby the nib 18 is supported against axial displacement relative to the nib holder 22 to prevent the nib 18 from being pressed inwardly against the ink carrier 16 and compressing it during use. In this position the inner end 19 of the nib 18 is located in contact with the ink carrier 16 to draw ink by capillary action. Additionally, by this arrangement, the felt nib 18 is maintained out of contact with any metal parts of the instrument such as the tip section and ink reservoir thereby minimizing the chance of corroding metal parts due to contact of the marking fluid or ink therewith.

The various embodiments of marking instruments shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are basically the same in the arrangement of elements to that described above except for some changes in the structural details of the elements. Thus in each of the embodiments the nib holder has an outwardly projecting flange at one axial end thereof which is pressed against the lip of the reservoir by the tip sec tion to provide a fluid-tight joint. However, in each of the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, the skirt 145 of the tip section 136 converges downwardly toward its free end and the ink reservoir has a divergent wall section 111 between the annular groove 146 and its open end. Additionally each of the marking instruments illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 includes a cap 137 which frictionally engages the outer periphery of the neck portion 138 of the tip section to cover the nib when the instrument is not being used and which is easily detached therefrom when desired. The cap may also be used with the marking instrument shown in FIG. 1.

With respect to the marking instrument shown in FIG. 6, the confronting walls of the diametrically opposed slots 128 in the nib holder 122 converge toward the upper axial end of the nib holder 122 and the nib 118 is generally I shaped being of larger transverse dimension adjacent its inner end 119 to provide transversely extending shoulders 123 which abut the lower face of the flange 126 of the nib holder 122. The nib 118 has gradually convergent side edge portions 124 between the marking tip 121 and shoulders 123 to provide abutments 125 adapted to engage the outer axial end face of the nib holder 122. By this arrangement, the nib 118 is sup ported against axial displacement in the nib holder 122 with the inner end 119 thereof contacting the ink carrier 116 to draw ink therefrom by capillary action.

In the marking instrument shown in FIG. 7, the distance between the confronting walls of the axially extending, diametrically opposed slots 228 in the nib holder 222 is uniform for the entire length of the nib holder and the nib is also of I shaped configuration, having a body portion 227 of a uniform transverse dimension substantially equal to the distance between the confronting walls of the opposed slots 228 and inner and outer end portions 219 and 221 respectively of greater transverse dimension to provide transversely extending shoulders 223 and 225. The shoulders 223 and 225 abut the inner and outer axial end faces respectively of the nib holder 222 to locate the inner end of the nib 218 in engagement with the ink carrier 216 and also to prevent axial displacement of the nib 218 relative to the nib holder 222.

The nib holder 322 of the marking instrument shown in FIG. 8 is similar to that shown in FIG. 2 except that the confronting projections 330 are disposed intermediate the axial ends of the nib holder 322. The nib 318 has notches 332 intermediate its inner and outer ends and is of enlarged transverse dimension adjacent its inner end to provide transversely extending shoulders 323. Accordingly when assembled, the projections 330 on the nib holder 322 seat in the notches 332 of the nib 318 and the shoulders 323 abut the lower axial end face of the nib holder 322. Thus the nib 318 is located in the desired position to engage the ink carrier and is restrained against axial movement relative to the nib holder 322.

In the assembly of each of the marking instruments shown in FIGS. 6-12, the ink carrier is placed in the ink reservoir and then a suitable amount of ink is deposited into the ink reservoir. Thereafter the nib is inserted into the nib holder from the lower end thereof. The nib holder is then positioned over the opening in the ink reservoir with its flange engaging the lip surrounding the opening in the ink reservoir. When the tip section is placed over the nib holder and secured to the ink reservoir, the neck portion of the tip section closely embraces the neck of the nib holder and the flange portion accordance with the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not intended to limit the invention and changes and modifications may be made herein within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A marking instrument comprising a generally cylindrical hollow ink reservoir having an opening at one end thereof, a nib support structure mounted end wise of said one end of the ink reservoir including a nib holder and tip section, said nib holder having an elongated neck provided with an axial bore therethrough and a resilient radial flange at its inner end disposed in outwardly overlying engagement with said one end of the reservoir, said tip section having an elongated neck snugly embracing the neck of the nib holder and having at its inner end a radially extending flange portion snugly engaged over the flange of the nib holder and-terminating in a peripheral skirt outwardly overlying the adjacent side wall of the ink reservoir, interengaging locking means releasably mounting said flange portion of said tip section to said adjacent surface of the ink reservoir operable to permit said tip section to be detached from said reservoir by movement axially thereof, and an elongated nib mounted in the bore of the neck of the nib holder with the inner end of said nib extending interiorly of the ink reservoir and its outer end projecting beyond the outer end of the nib holder.

2. A marking instrument as claimed in claim 1 Wherein said interengaging locking means comprises an annular circumferentially extending groove in the outer peripheral surface of the side wall of the ink reservoir adjacent said one end thereof and an annular inwardly projecting circumferentially extending bead formed in said skirt of said tip section which engages in said annular groove.

3. A marking instrument as claimed in claim 1 including means defining diametrically opposed axially extending slots in the bore of said nib holder, a pair of diametrically opposed projections projecting radially inwardly of the slots in said nib holder wherein said nib is of generally rectangular cross sectional shape having opposite side edges engageable in said slots and having notches in said opposed side edges to receive said projections whereby said nib is fixed against axial movement relative to said nib holder.

4. A marking instrument as claimed in claim 3 wherein said projections are adjacent the inner end of said nib holder.

5. A marking instrument as claimed in claim 3 where- .in said projections are disposed between opposite axial ends of said nib holder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,593,599 Patch Apr. 22, 1952 2,676,349 Vosburg Apr. 27, 1954 2,713,176 Rosenthal July 19, 1955 3,003,181 Rosenthal Oct. 10, 1961 

1. A MARKING INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL HOLLOW INK RESERVOIR HAVING AN OPENING AT ONE END THEREOF, A NIB SUPPORT STRUCTURE MOUNTED END WISE OF SAID ONE END OF THE INK RESERVOIR INCLUDING A NIB HOLDER AND TIP SECTION, SAID NIB HOLDER HAVING AN ELONGATED NECK PROVIDED WITH AN AXIAL BORE THERETHROUGH AND A RESILIENT RADIAL FLANGE AT ITS INNER END DISPOSED IN OUTWARDLY OVERLYING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ONE END OF THE RESERVOIR, SAID TIP SECTION HAVING AN ELONGATED NECK SNUGLY EMBRACING THE NECK OF THE NIB HOLDER AND HAVING AT ITS INNER END A RADIALLY EXTENDING FLANGE PORTION SNUGLY ENGAGED OVER THE FLANGE OF THE NIB HOLDER AND TERMINATING IN A PERIPHERAL SKIRT OUTWARDLY OVERLYING THE ADJACENT SIDE WALL OF THE INK RESERVOIR, INTERENGAGING LOCKING MEANS RELEASABLY MOUNTING SAID FLANGE PORTION OF SAID TIP SECTION TO SAID ADJACENT SURFACE OF THE INK RESERVOIR OPERABLE TO PERMIT SAID TIP SECTION TO BE DETACHED FROM SAID RESERVOIR BY MOVEMENT AXIALLY THEREOF, AND AN ELONGATED NIB MOUNTED IN THE BORE OF THE NECK OF THE NIB HOLDER WITH THE INNER END OF SAID NIB EXTENDING INTERIORLY OF THE INK RESERVOIR AND ITS OUTER END PROJECTING BEYOND THE OUTER END OF THE NIB HOLDER. 